Chania, Crete, Greece

The town of Chania

Chania is one of the largest towns on Crete and, for many visitors, the most beautiful. Chania has a centre full of character and history, a Turkish lighthouse, a Venetian fortress and many houses from the Venetian and Ottoman times, along with shops, a large market and a harbour lined with restaurants and cafes. About 56,000 people live in Chania today, which makes it the largest town on Crete after Heraklion. The town is popular and can get busy, and the newer concrete outskirts contrast sharply with the historic core, so patience with the traffic pays off once you reach the old harbour.

The history of Chania

Chania already existed in Minoan times under the name Kydonia. Chania was conquered and destroyed by the Arabs in 828 AD, passed to the Byzantines in 961, and fell to the Venetians in the 14th century, who enlarged the Firkas fortress that still stands. The town suffered pirate attacks and came under Ottoman Turkish rule in the 17th century, then joined Greece in 1913 with the rest of Crete. Much of that past survives in the Venetian port, the fortress and the lighthouse, and in the Turkish and Venetian buildings along the old-town streets.

Beaches near Chania

Several beaches lie within easy reach of Chania town, in three directions. To the west stretch the wide sandy beaches of Daratso, Agia Marina and Platanias; northeast on the Akrotiri peninsula sit smaller coves such as Stavros, Kalathas and Tersanas; and to the east the beaches of Kalives, Almirida and Kalami are a short drive away.

• Head west to Agia Marina and Platanias for long, busy sandy beaches.
• Drive east to Kalives and Almirida in the greener Apokoronas.

The sights of Chania

Chania keeps most of its sights around the Venetian harbour. The port is picturesque, with pastel houses, kafenions and the fishing boats passing the lighthouse. The Turkish lighthouse dates from the Venetian period and was rebuilt on the old foundations in the 19th century. The Venetian arsenals are long vaulted shipyards from the late 15th century, of which about 10 still stand. The covered market hall was built in 1913 in the shape of a cross and holds 76 shops. The Firkas fortress guards the harbour entrance and now houses the Maritime Museum, and the Janissaries Mosque of 1654 sits on the waterfront and is used for exhibitions.

Western Crete beyond Chania

Western Crete holds the wildest coast and the deepest gorges on the island, all reached from Chania by car. The far west and the south coast reward a full day out, so pick one marquee sight per day.

• Hike the Samaria Gorge, one of the longest gorges in Europe, ending at the Libyan Sea.
• Sail to the pirate islet and fortress of Gramvousa in the northwest.
• Swim off the long sandy beach of Falassarna on the west coast.
• Take a boat or the coast path to the car-free village of Loutro below Sfakia.
• Find a quiet, partly naturist beach at Sougia on the south coast.
• Wade into the shallow turquoise lagoon of Balos on the Gramvousa peninsula, reached by dirt road or excursion boat.
• Lie on the pink-tinged sand of Elafonisi, a shallow lagoon and islet at the southwest tip of Crete.
• Base yourself in the low-key south-coast town of Paleochora, set on a headland between two beaches.